Crash safety device of vehicle

ABSTRACT

A master vac ( 6 ) is connected and fixed to a dash panel ( 20 ) side via a bendable pedal bracket ( 1 ), and a striker ( 4 ) extends forward toward a longitudinal direction of a vehicle and is arranged in such a manner as to protrude a front end ( 4   a ) thereof from the dash panel ( 20 ) at a normal time when an external force is not applied. When the external force is applied, the striker ( 4 ) is pressed, the pedal bracket ( 1 ) is deformed on the basis of a weakened portion (16) together therewith, and a master cylinder ( 7 ) moves to a position apart from a knee ( 31 ), whereby an interference between both elements can be avoided. As a result, in the case that the external force is applied to a front surface of the cab, it is possible to prevent the knee ( 31 ) of a driver from interfering with a clutch master vac mounting portion ( 24 ) and a brake master vac mounting portion ( 25 ) and it is possible to improve a safety of the driver.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a crash safety device of a vehicle forpreventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vacmounting portion, a clutch master vac mounting portion or the like at atime when a great force is applied at a time of collision of the vehicleor the like so as to keep safety of the driver.

BACKGROUND ART

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a summary of a steering master vac mounting portion26, a brake master vac mounting portion 25 a and a clutch master vacmounting portion 24 a within a cab in a forward control vehicle, and amounting structure therefor.

As shown in FIG. 10, a leg portion 30 of a driver brought into contactwith a floor panel 23 on the sole of a foot and being in a normal driveattitude holds the steering column portion 26 between the leg portions30 and 30 as shown in FIG. 9, and a knee 31 thereof is arranged at aposition substantially opposing to the brake master vac mounting portion25 a and the clutch master vac mounting portion 24 a so as to becomparatively close thereto.

The brake master vac mounting portion 25 a and the clutch master vacmounting portion 24 a are arranged along a longitudinal direction of thevehicle, and are respectively constituted by a brake pedal bracket 37, abrake master vac 27 and a brake master cylinder 28, and a clutch pedalbracket 1 a, a clutch master vac 6, a clutch master cylinder 7 and thelike. The brake master vac 27 and the clutch master vac 6 are arrangedso that front surfaces thereof are respectively fixed to the brake pedalbracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1 a, and the brake mastercylinder 28 and the clutch master cylinder 7 are respectively arrangedso that rear surfaces thereof are directed to the knee 31 side. Thebrake pedal bracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1 a are respectivelyconnected and supported to a front frame 21 and a front mount rail 22which are connected to upper and lower portions of the front panel 19,as shown in FIG. 10. In this case, a brake pedal 29 and a clutch pedal 5(FIG. 1) are respectively connected to the brake pedal bracket 37 andthe clutch pedal bracket 1 a.

On the contrary, the steering column portion 26 is constituted by asteering boot 32 connected to the floor panel 23, a steering cowl 33arranged thereabove, a steering shaft 35 supported to a steering supportbracket 34, a steering handle 36 or the like. These elements arearranged at the position held between the leg portions 30 and 30 of thedriver as mentioned above, and the steering handle 36 is arranged closeto the driver's side.

When a great force is applied to the vehicle having the structurementioned above at a time of collision or the like, as shown in FIG. 11,the front panel 19 moves rearward, the brake pedal bracket 37 and theclutch pedal bracket 1 a are pressed, and the brake master vac mountingportion 25 a and the clutch master vac mounting portion 24 a largelymoves rearward. On the contrary, the driver is pressed forward due to aninertia force, and the leg 31 moves to a position shown by a solid linefrom a position shown by a dot line in the drawing. Accordingly, thereis a possibility that the knee 31 is brought into contact with the brakemaster cylinder 28 and a rear end 7 a of the clutch master cylinder 7.

In order to solve the problem mentioned above, various kinds of deviceshave been conventionally proposed, for example, Japanese UnexaminedUtility Model Publication Nos. 62-56378, 62-59580 and 7-31516 can belisted up.

“Instrument Panel Frame of Automobile” described in Japanese UnexaminedUtility Model Publication No. 62-56378 corresponds to a structure inwhich a flange and an inclined surface are formed in the instrumentpanel frame provided in a lower portion of the instrument panel in avehicle having equipment such as a master vac of a brake, a heater unitand the like within a vehicle body in front of the instrument panel soas to change directions of the master vac of the brake and the heaterunit by the flange and the inclined surface when an external force isapplied at a time of collision or the like, thereby preventing theelements from entering to the driver's side, and as the result, a safetyis kept. Accordingly, the structure itself is effective, however, islargely different from the present invention mentioned below in view ofthe structure.

Further, “Vehicle Panel” described in Japanese Unexamined Utility ModelPublication No. 62-59580 corresponds to a structure in which a slit isprovided in a panel arranged in such a manner as to oppose to a frontend of a brake device, and the front end of the brake device expands theslit and enters to the panel side at a time when an external force isapplied, so as to reduce an impact force applied to the brake device,thereby preventing the brake device from moving rearward to the steeringside. The slit portion may be compared with a weakened portion inaccordance with the present invention mentioned below, however, theknown art is as a whole largely different from the present invention inview of the structure.

Further, “Knee Protector of Automobile” described in Japanese UnexaminedUtility Model Publication No. 7-31516 corresponds to a structure inwhich a knee protector for covering a rear end side of a member such asa master cylinder is provided therein so as to prevent the mastercylinder from being directly brought into contact with a leg portion ofa driver and the knee protector is deformed so as to shift the legportion brought into contact with the knee protector in an obliquedirection, thereby reducing an impact force applied to the leg portion.That is, an object of the prior art is to reduce an application of theimpact force due to the collision, and is not to prevent a rigid membersuch as a master cylinder from being brought into contact with the legportion in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, thisprior art is different from the present invention in view of astructure, an object and an effect.

The present invention is made by taking the matters mentioned above intoconsideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide acrash safety device of a vehicle which securely prevents a brake mastervac mounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion from beingbrought into contact with a leg portion of a driver by comparativelysimple means for changing support positions of the brake master vacmounting portion and the clutch master vac mounting portion at a timewhen a great force is applied such as at a vehicle collision time or thelike, thereby keeping a safety of the driver.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with thepresent invention, there is provided a collision safety device forpreventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vacmounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion in a vehicleat a time when an external force is applied at a time of collision of avehicle or the like, the brake master vac mounting portion beingsupported to a pedal bracket arranged at a position substantiallyopposing to the knee of the driver and fixed to a rigid member such as adash panel or the like in a front surface side of a cab, wherein thepedal bracket of the master vac mounting portion arranged along alongitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided with a first brackethaving a bent portion for fixing a master vac to a rear surface side andfixing a front surface side to the rigid member and a second bracketsupported to the first bracket in a cantilever manner and having astriker extending forward along a longitudinal direction of the vehicleand including a front end side arranged in a free end side thereof so asto pass through the rigid member, and a weakened portion is formed inthe bent portion of the first bracket and a base end portion of thestriker in the second bracket.

In more particular, the structure is characterized in that a guide holefor holding the striker is provided in the rigid member through whichthe striker passes.

At a time when an external force is applied, the front panel or the likemoves rearward so as to intend to press the brake master vac mountingportion and the clutch master vac mounting portion fixed to the rigidmember such as the dash panel or the like to the driver side. However,in the case of the present invention, the front panel or the like isbrought into contact with the striker of the pedal bracket so as topress the striker. The striker is structured such as to be supported ina cantilever manner to the first bracket side of the pedal bracket so asto apply a moment to the first bracket side. Further, since a weakenedportion is formed in the base end portion of the striker and the firstbracket, the pedal bracket is deformed due to an application of themoment generated by a pressing force applied to the striker and moves ina direction of moving apart from the knee of the driver, therebypreventing the knee from interfering with the master vac mountingportions mentioned above.

Further, when arranging the brake master vac, the brake master cylinderand the like in the brake master vac mounting portion in a directionperpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, it ispossible to prevent the knee from interfering with the elements at atime when the external force is applied. In accordance with thestructure mentioned above, it is possible to secure a safety of thedriver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a clutch master vac mounting portionsupported by a pedal bracket in accordance with the present invention, ahorizontally-placed brake master vac mounting portion and a steeringcolumn portion, and a relation between these elements and knees of adriver;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a whole structure of the pedalbracket in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a first bracket of the pedal bracketin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a second bracket of the pedal bracketin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing some examples (a), (b) and (c) of aweakened portion formed in the first bracket and the second bracket;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an aspect of arranging the clutchmaster vac mounting portion in accordance with the present invention ata normal time;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a deformed state in the case that anexternal force F is applied to the clutch master vac mounting portion inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view showing a relational position among the clutchmaster vac mounting portion, the brake master vac mounting portion, thesteering column portion and the knees of the driver at a time when theexternal force is applied as shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top view showing a relation among a brake master vacmounting portion, a clutch master vac mounting portion, a steeringcolumn portion and the like in accordance with a conventional art andthe knees of the driver;

FIG. 10 is a side view of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a top view showing a relation between the respective mastervac mounting portions in accordance with the conventional art and theknees of the driver at a time when the external force is applied.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A description will be in detail given below of an embodiment of a crashsafety device of a vehicle in accordance with the present invention withreference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a front panel 19 is provided on a front surface of acab of a vehicle, and a dash panel 20 is provided in a rear portionthereof.

A clutch master vac mounting portion 24 is arranged along a longitudinaldirection of the vehicle as illustrated, and is constituted by a pedalbracket 1 corresponding to a main constituting element of the presentinvention, a clutch master vac 6, a clutch master cylinder 7 and thelike.

On the contrary, a brake master vac mounting portion 25 is arranged in adirection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,that is, in a horizontal direction in the present embodiment, and isconstituted by a brake pedal bracket (not shown), a brake master vac 27,a brake master cylinder 28 and the like.

Further, a steering column portion 26 is arranged between right and leftknees 31 of a leg portion 30 of a driver. The steering column portion 26is constituted by a steering boot 32 connected to a floor panel 23, asteering cowl 33 arranged thereabove, a steering shaft 35 supported to asteering support bracket 34, a steering handle 36 and the like, as shownin FIG. 10.

In this case, in the present embodiment, since the brake master vacmounting portion 25 is laterally directed as illustrated, the brakemaster vac mounting portion 25 is arranged at a position apart from aright knee 31 a of the driver and does not have a particular problem ata time when an external force is applied, so that a detailed descriptionthereof will be omitted in the following description.

Further, since the steering column portion 26 is inherently held betweenthe right knee 31 a and a left knee 31 b and does not coincide with theobject of the present invention, a description concerning a relationwith respect to the driver when the external force is applied will beomitted.

Accordingly, the following description will be given in detail ofinterference prevention between the clutch master vac mounting portion24 and the knee 31 (the left knee 31 b) of the leg portion 30 of thedriver.

The clutch master vac mounting portion 24 is constituted by the pedalbracket 1, the clutch master vac 6, the clutch master cylinder 7 and thelike, as mentioned above, and the front surface side of the pedalbracket 1 is fixed and supported to the dash panel 20 or the likecorresponding to a rigid member. Further, the clutch master vac 6 or thelike is connected to a rear surface of the pedal bracket 1, the clutchmaster cylinder 7 is arranged in such a manner as to extend toward theleft knee 31 b side, and a rear end 7 a thereof is arranged at aposition capable of interfering with the left knee 31 b if the positionof the clutch master cylinder relative to the left knee 31 b ismaintained when the external force is applied. In particular, if thedriver should move his or her leg portion 30 away from the steeringcolumn portion 26, the rear end 7 a of the clutch master cylinder 7 maybe arranged at a position opposing the left knee 31 b.

Next, a description will be given of a structure of the pedal bracket 1corresponding to a main constituting element of the present inventionwith reference to FIG. 2. The pedal bracket 1 is mainly constituted by afirst bracket 2 and a second bracket 3 having a striker 4. FIG. 2 showsa state in which the first bracket 2 and the second bracket 3 arecombined. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the clutch pedal 5 is heldto the first bracket 2, and the clutch master vac 6 connecting theclutch master cylinder 7 thereto is fixed to the second bracket 3.

The first bracket 2 is, as shown in FIG. 3, constituted by a flangeportion 8 comprising a left flange portion 8 a and a right flangeportion 8 b, a first inclined plate portion 9 obliquely bent from theleft flange portion 8 a, a second inclined plate portion 10 furtherobliquely bent from the first inclined plate portion 9, a first sideplate portion 11 formed along a longitudinal direction of the vehiclefrom an end portion thereof, a second side plate portion 12 verticallybent from the right flange portion 8 b so as to be formed along alongitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a front end plate portion 13connecting the first side plate portion 1 1 and a front end of thesecond side plate portion 12.

The second bracket 3 is, as shown in FIG. 4, constituted by a flat plateportion 15 to which the clutch master vac 6 (FIG. 1) is mounted and thestriker 4 vertically bent from one end portion (a right end portion inthe drawing) of the flat plate portion 15 so as to extend forward alongthe longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The second bracket 3 is fixedto the flange portions 8 a and 8 b of the first bracket 2 so as to forma suitable interval between the second side plate portion 12 of thefirst bracket 2 and the striker 4 of the second bracket 3, therebyconstituting the pedal bracket 1. Further, a front end 4 a of thestriker 4 protrudes forward from the front end plate portion 13 of thefirst bracket 2 and is arranged so as to extend through the dash panel20. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a through hole through which thestriker 4 passes is provided in the dash panel 20, however, the throughhole corresponds to a guide hole 20 a (FIG. 1) for guiding the striker4, and the guide hole 20 a is actually formed in a slot hole shape towhich the striker 4 can be inserted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pedal bracket 1 having the structure mentionedabove is structured such that the front end plate portion 13 of thefirst bracket 2 is fixed to the dash panel 20. In this state, the rearend 7 a of the clutch master cylinder 7 is arranged toward the left knee31 b side.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, weakened portions 16 for reducing a strengthof bent corner portions in the first bracket 2 and the second bracket 3are formed in the bent corner portions of the first bracket 2 and thesecond bracket portion 3. The weakened portion 16 is exemplified by astructure shown in FIG. 5, however, the structure is of course notlimited to this. A weakened portion 16 a shown in FIG. 5(a) isconstituted by a slot hole 17 provided in a middle portion of the bentcorner portion, a weakened portion 16 b shown in FIG. 5(b) isconstituted by a notch 18 formed in upper and lower end edges of thebent corner portion, and a weakened portion 16 c shown in FIG. 5(c) isconstituted by a hinge formed in the bent corner portion. In any cases,the bent corner portion can be easily bent and deformed due to a smallexternal force by forming the weakened portion 16 mentioned above.

Next, a description will be given of a relation between the clutchmaster vac mounting portion 24 or the like and the knee 31 of the driveror the like when the external force is applied. FIG. 6 shows anarrangement state of the clutch master vac mounting portion 24 in anormal time when no external force is applied. That is, the secondbracket 3 of the pedal bracket 1 arranges the striker 4 along thelongitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is arranged so as to protrudethe front end 4 a thereof from the guide hole 20 a of the dash panel 20,and the clutch master vac 6 and the clutch master cylinder 7 fixed tothe flat plate portion 15 are arranged along the longitudinal directionof the vehicle.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a state in which the external force is applied to theclutch master vac mounting portion 24 in the state shown in FIG. 6. Whenthe external force is applied, a great force F is applied to the frontend 4 a of the striker 4 protruding forward from the dash panel 20.Accordingly, the striker 4 moves rearward, however, since the striker 4is guided by the guide hole 20 a of the dash panel 20, the striker movesrearward in a substantially straight manner along the longitudinaldirection of the vehicle. Since the striker 4 is arranged at a positionapart from the first bracket 2 as mentioned above, a moment is appliedto the first bracket 2 side due to the force F applied to the striker 4.Further, the force F is applied to a connecting portion between thestriker 4 and the flat plate portion 15. As mentioned above, the firstbracket 2 itself is constituted by the comparatively rigid member,however, since the weakened portion 16 is formed in the bent cornerportion thereof and the weakened portion 16 is also formed in theconnecting portion (the base end portion) between the striker 4 of thesecond bracket and the flat plate portion 15, the pedal bracket 1 isdeformed due to the moment generated by the force F as shown in FIGS. 7and 8 so as to largely rotate the clutch master vac 6 and the clutchmaster cylinder 7 toward the outer side.

In the manner mentioned above, as shown in FIG. 8, the rear end 7 a ofthe clutch master cylinder 7 is rotated to the position largely apartfrom the left knee 31 b. Accordingly, it is possible to securely avoidan interference between the left knee 31 b and the rear end 7 a. Evenwhen moving the left knee 31 b to an outward opened position as shown bya two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, it is possible to prevent the left knee31 b, the clutch master cylinder 7 and the rear end 7 a thereof frombeing interfered with each other.

On the contrary, since the brake master vac mounting portion 25 islaterally arranged as mentioned above, the brake master vac mountingportion 25 should not interfere with the right knee 31 a, whether or notthe right knee 31 a moves to an outward opened position away from thesteering column portion 26. Further, since the steering column portion26 is held between the right knee 31 a and the left knee 31 b, there isno particular problem.

In the description mentioned above, the pedal bracket 1 is structured inthe manner mentioned above, however, the structure is not limited tothis structure, the structure may be employed as far as deforming sothat the clutch master cylinder 7 side rotates in a direction of movingapart from the left knee 31 b side when the external force is applied.

The advantages in accordance with the present invention mentioned aboveare as follows in summary.

In accordance with the crash safety device of the vehicle of the presentinvention, since the pedal bracket is deformed in the direction ofmoving the master cylinder apart from the knee side when the externalforce is applied, it is possible to securely prevent the knee frominterfering with the clutch master vac mounting portion and the brakemaster vac mounting portion. Further, the present invention can becomparatively easily realized by the simple structure obtained by onlymodifying the shape of the pedal bracket for supporting the master vacor the like. On the contrary, the interference with respect to the kneecan be avoided by laterally placing the brake master vac mountingportion, and the steering column portion is held between the knees, sothat there is no risk.

What is claimed is:
 1. A collision safety device for preventing injuryto a driver in a vehicle at a time when an external force is appliedduring a collision, comprising: a pedal bracket arranged at a positionsubstantially opposing a knee of the driver ands fixed to a dash panelof the vehicle in a front surface side of a cab of the vehicle forsupporting a master vac, wherein said pedal bracket includes a firstbracket having a bent portion for supporting said master vac and havinga front surface side fixed to said dash panel, a second bracketconnected to said first bracket in a cantilever manner and having astriker arranged at a free end side of said second bracket, said strikerextending forward along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as topass through said dash panel, and a weakened portion formed in the bentportion of said first bracket and a base end portion of said striker insaid second bracket.
 2. A collision safety device of a vehicle asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a guide hole for said striker is provided insaid dash panel through which said striker passes.